How to water a succulent

We love succulents just as much as the next person, but we’ve found that many succulent owners struggle to keep their green friends alive. And one question, in particular, causes them much grief — “How do you water a succulent?”

How to water a succulent is not a difficult question to answer; however, it might be difficult to follow. This is because it requires the succulent owner to use his or her best judgment. In other words, there is no concrete timeline as to when to water a succulent or how often to water a succulent.

Let’s discuss a few tips on how to take care of succulents (watering including), and you’ll soon understand why caring for succulents can sometimes be a tricky undertaking.

You need drainage for your succulent.

As do all plants in containers, succulents need drainage — so don’t skip this part. Opt for a container with a decent hole, so water can flow freely out of the container. If there is no drainage, then the container will retain all the water poured into it, and your succulents will probably stay too wet for too long.

You need to wait for your succulent to be dry.

You’re probably wondering, “How often should you water succulents?” And unfortunately, there is no concrete answer to this question. In fact, the real answer is that it depends.

Going back to the beginning of this article, this is where your judgment comes into play. It’s up to you to decide if your succulent needs to be watered or not. To do this, go ahead and stick your finger into the container a few inches. Take a few seconds to decide if the soil feels wet or not. If it doesn’t, then it might be time to water. The ultimate goal is to let your succulents dry out completely, which often means the time between waterings will be much longer than other types of plants.

Take your finger out of the container and see if soil sticks to it. If no soil sticks to your finger, then it’s definitely time to water. (Of course, your finger will be dirty — so don’t consider that as soil sticking to your finger).

You need to soak your succulent.

Many people believe that succulents don’t need a lot of water, and while that might be true, this doesn’t mean you should only “spritz” your green friend with water.

Instead, if your soil is dry and it is time to water your succulent, then you need to soak it with water. Give it a big helping of water and allow the liquid to flow out of the drainage hole. Once you see the water come out of the bottom of the container, then your succulent is probably wet enough.

However, it’s important to remember that your soil can become hydrophobic if it’s dry for too long. This means that the soil will actually repel water, and the water will run out of the hole and down the sides of the pot without actually wetting the soil. If this happens, you can submerge your entire pot and plant into a bucket of water. If you do this, wait for the air bubbles to stop floating up and then take the plant out of the water.

It’s also important to note here that you don’t want your succulent sitting in that excess water. If your succulent does continue to sit in that water, it would be as if you didn’t have a drainage hole. Make sure to remove that excess water, so your succulent can properly dry.

Final thoughts

Succulents are very trendy right now. They’re colorful; they’re unique, and they’re great additions to any home. So don’t let allow picky watering requirements to hold you back. Simply remember two important tips: let them dry out completely, then soak them.

Instead, just make sure to keep a watchful eye on your succulents. Don’t forget about them, and don’t let assumptions about succulents rule how or when you water them. Remember these helpful succulent tips, and you’ll be just fine!